Louisiana-based boat manufacturer Metal Shark Aluminum Boats is significantly
expanding its operations and has acquired a large waterfront parcel
to accommodate the production of larger vessels, the company announced
today.

The builder has signaled its entry into the shipbuilding sector with
the purchase of a 25-acre waterfront tract located in South Louisiana’s
St. Mary Parish. Plans for the new facility call for over 60,000 square
feet of manufacturing space, with approximately 100 new employees expected
to be hired within the next few years. Infrastructure improvements have
commenced at the site, which Metal Shark is transforming into a shipyard
capable of supporting aluminum and steel shipbuilding operations for
vessels up to and exceeding 250’ in length.

Metal Shark’s
new 75' Defiant (shown here in fire/rescue trim) is one of the vessels
being manufactured at the company’s new shipyard in St. Mary Parish,
Louisiana.

Construction
of Metal Shark’s 45’, 55’, and 75’ vessels currently
on order and in various stages of assembly at the company’s headquarters
in Jeanerette, Louisiana will be transferred to the new yard, where
production volume will increase as new, larger offshore vessels are
added to the company’s expanding lineup.

Metal Shark vessels 40’ and under, including
several models being built under multi-year contracts for the U.S.
Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, will continue to be produced at the company’s
existing facility in Jeanerette. This facility, which was expanded
in 2011 and again in 2012, will be enlarged once more to accommodate
present and future growth.

All told, these moves represent an investment of more
than ten million dollars by the company.

“Metal Shark has grown exponentially over the
past several years, but the size and scope of this newest expansion
will completely redefine the company and elevate our role in the marketplace,”
said Chris Allard, president of Metal Shark. “While we are expanding
our facilities, we are at the same time actively expanding our in-house
engineering staff and our in-field training and support team to keep
pace with our ambitious slate of new builds.”

In addition to the facilities and workforce upgrades,
Metal Shark has also announced substantial investments in new designs.
The company’s proven Defiant class of v-bottom pilothouse vessels,
with parent craft in service with various military and law enforcement
entities worldwide, has been expanded to include vessels up to 100’.

Metal Shark’s
new Endurance-class offshore catamaran vessels will also be built at the
company’s new shipyard.

Additionally,
the company has announced a new “Endurance” class of pilothouse
catamaran vessels. These long range offshore vessels are characterized
by their wide beams, efficient hulls, and many crew-friendly features
shared with existing Metal Shark models, such as “pillarless glass”
pilothouse windshields that increase visibility and operational safety
by drastically reducing the dangerous blind spots associated with conventional
pilothouse vessels.

All Defiant and Endurance-class vessels may be fully
customized to meet a wide range of mission profiles including military;
law enforcement; fire rescue; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
and high-yield explosive (CBRNE) disaster response; and pilot operations.

While Metal Shark caters to a global customer base and
supports a fleet of vessels in service worldwide, the company is quick
to credit its Louisiana roots as a key component of its ongoing success.

“Metal Shark has always enjoyed strong support
from the State of Louisiana and South Louisiana,” stated Chris
Allard. “This long-standing cooperation and pro-business attitude,
combined with the region’s skilled workforce, were key factors
in our decision making process for this expansion. Louisiana provides
the perfect climate for American manufacturing and we’re proud
to continue our investment here.”